


The Ranks of Men

by Volant



Series: Different Days [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-26 23:58:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18727498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Volant/pseuds/Volant
Summary: Sometimes, you just need to rewrite the entire MCU.





	The Ranks of Men

Sometimes, when Steve was feeling all right, he would take his work stuff down to Sunset Park for the day. It was always in the summer, when things were green and there was no hint of a storm in the air. There were certain conditions that Steve set for himself when he wanted to do some things –  _if this, then that_. A sort of rewards system he and his mom had talked over, one that kept him from killing himself and satisfied what Sarah Rogers called Steve’s “restless soul.” Sunset Park in the summer was one of these rewards. 

It was a really decent place: close enough to the docks that Buck could meet him for lunch or something if he wanted, but in a nice enough part of town that young mothers could bring their kids to play without having to worry. Sometimes there were even dogs, ones that wandered over the path without leashes on and pressed their wet noses into Steve’s hand. He was there often enough that some of the young ladies waved at him, and once or twice people had stopped to get a good look at whatever project he was working on. 

Steve liked to sit on a bench on the west side, next to a sturdy old oak. It was sheltered from the wind and shaded from the sun – but not too much – and Steve had a good enough view that he could sit and draw for a long time without getting bored or tired after any length of time. 

He made all right money illustrating ads on a freelance basis, but a family friend, Mr. Bisset, owned a kiosk in one of the busier areas and sometimes liked to sell Brooklyn landscapes drawn by authentic artists. Steve was grateful for the extra pocket money, most of which he used to buy more art supplies. Buck called it a vicious cycle (“you buy, you make, you sell, but you don’t get to keep none of it? That’s bullshit, Stevie.”) but Steve preferred to think of it as something like a gift from the universe. After all, if he stopped drawing for Mr. Bisset, he wouldn’t have extra money for supplies, which meant Steve would have to dip into his earnings from bigger jobs, and really there wasn’t that much leftover – just enough for his part of the rent, and food. Buck, who had always been healthier, stronger, and more...sociable than Steve, always got the good-paying jobs at the docks. That is, the heavy-lifting ones. Bucky helped with buying Steve’s medication, and paid his half of the rent, and bought more than half of his groceries more than half of the time. Steve had been trying to work more to make up for it. 

The apartment was pretty empty right then, since Bucky had decided to join the army and was away to Fort Drum for basic training. Steve got a note every week or so updating him on things.  

Steve put his pencil down and took a deep breath to ease the tightness in his chest that asserted itself whenever he started dwelling too much on Bucky’s absence. He ended up coughing into his handkerchief instead, and nearly scattering his pencils across the walk.  

The Barnes family had practically adopted Steve and his mom after his dad died, so Bucky was his best pal, practically his brother, and they’d known each other since they were in bibs anyway. It was natural to miss a friend, but it made Steve uncomfortable somehow and he tried hard not to think about it too much. There had been no letter that week, probably because it was only a few days before Bucky got back. 

Steve looked out over the park. It was a little after noon; people were lounging on the grass, children shouting somewhere out of sight. He hoped the weather held until after Buck got into town so they could do something to celebrate.  

There was an army recruitment poster nailed to a post just across the path from where Steve was sitting. It had a stylized illustration of a soldier saluting, looking out at the world while the American flag waved on behind him. Block letters interposed over the soldier’s torso read “For Home and Country.”  

Somehow, it had never occurred to Steve that Bucky would go off to war without him. In his head, when they’d been younger – young enough to play pretend still – they'd gone together to fight. It felt strange to be left behind. Steve wanted to serve his country. Steve knew he  _could_ serve his country, if they’d just give him a chance – medical record be damned.  

“God,” he said, and broke the tip of one of his pencils. It left a divot in the paper, a small tear. He’d have to start over.  

Steve had been trying so hard not to think about the army, or soldiers, or fighting. He glanced at the poster again, and decided that just one more visit to the recruiting office wouldn’t hurt.  

Maybe, this time, they’d agree to see him. 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading this fic! Please forgive any time-period inaccuracies, as my one and only resource for now are the answers Google can give me. I'm excited to painstakingly rewrite every single MCU movie up to and including Endgame. You know, for fun.
> 
> I don't want to speak to having any kind of posting schedule but my goal is to post at least once or twice a week.
> 
> If you have any thoughts or questions, you can find my on Tumblr @revolant !


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